Associate Professor and Chair of Management Bret Simmons’ teaching abroad experience in Thailand with USAC
From visiting temples to interacting with elephants and taking trips to nearby countries, Simmons discusses what it was like to teach with USAC this past summer
When University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC) asked me if I could recommend someone to teach in in the summer of 2024, I volunteered myself. I’ve always wanted to visit Thailand, mainly because I love Thai food, but I must admit, I knew little about the culture of Thailand and nothing about the city of Chiang Mai.
One thing I really appreciated about this summer session course was its timing in late May. I was able to spend 10 days visiting South Korea before traveling from Seoul directly to Chiang Mai. When the program finished in late June, I spent a week in Tokyo before returning home to Reno. Thailand’s location makes it very convenient to visit other countries in Asia. One of my students visited Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and other students visited Vietnam on a weekend during the term.
The USAC staff in Thailand – – were excellent hosts, taking very good care of the students and me. They had activities planned for the students almost every weekend, and I participated in almost all of them. One of the students’ favorite activities was the to the elephant sanctuary and river rafting. I most enjoyed the visit to the Hill Tribes, the waterfalls along the hiking trails, and the beautiful temples. We were always accompanied on the tours by someone from the USAC staff and several student ambassadors from Chiang Mai University.
On the one weekend the USAC staff had no planned activities, my students and I all headed to different beach locations in Thailand. One student went to Krabi Beach, two others to Phuket Beach, and I went to the island of Koh Samui via direct flight from Chiang Mai. While in Koh Samui, I took a tour via speed boat to the beautiful Ang Thong National Marine Park. If you come to Thailand, try to visit one of these spectacular beaches!
One thing that was very different from my home university is that all students at Chiang Mai University are required to wear uniforms, including USAC students. One day, Jum arranged for my students and I to visit a local business in Chiang Mai, and the students were required to wear their uniforms.
Chiang Mai University is very large. The students stayed in the university’s international dorm, and it was near lots of shops and restaurants. I stayed in an apartment near the back gate of the university, so my experience was more local and less touristy. I walked from my apartment to campus on the days I had class, and the students took a shuttle bus to class from their dorm.
One of the things I loved most about Chiang Mai was the food. It is delicious and cheap!
Thailand also has a very robust coffee scene. There was a coffee shop in almost every building on campus, and two separate shops right outside of the student dorms. The coffee shop next to my apartment served excellent food and coffee. I had several lunches of a large chicken salad and latte for only about $3.25 total. On our visit to the Hill Tribes, I purchased some coffee grown by the tribe to take home, and it was amazing.
The most pleasant surprise of the entire trip for me was discovering one of the most delicious dishes I’ve ever eaten in my life: Khao Soi, a northern Thai curry and noodle dish. The first day I met Siri, she told me it was her favorite dish, and I absolutely needed to try it. USAC Resident Director Jum took me to lunch for duck Khao Soi early in the program and I was hooked! In my spare time, I traveled to various parts of Chiang Mai to try Khao Soi from different restaurants, and I learned I preferred beef Khao Soi.
My favorite place was one I found on one of my favorite Netflix shows Somebody Feed Phil. In the Thailand episode, Phil spent most of his time in Bangkok, but they took him to Chiang Mai to eat Khao Soi at a place called Khao Soi Lung Prakit kad Kom. Phil proclaimed it one of the best dishes he has ever eaten, so I had to try it. The place opened at 9:30 a.m., and when I arrived at 9:35 a.m. it was already packed. It was indeed the best beef Khao Soi I tasted in Chiang Mai, and it only cost 60 Thai Bhat or $1.72! I ate a lot of other amazing food dishes in Thailand, but none better than Khao Soi.
My students and I loved our time in Thailand. The USAC staff in Chiang Mai have a truly impressive experience waiting for you, and I highly recommend it. When you go, do take advantage of the opportunity to visit at least one other Asian country (my favorite is South Korea), and do visit one of the famous Thai beaches! It was the trip of a lifetime for me.
